premedical

Research Basics: Should I Get Involved and How Do I Start?

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research basics

The year is 1921. A medical student toils away at a dimly lit lab bench deep in the bowels of the University of Toronto. His intense concentration does not waver even as a bead of sweat begins to slip from his brow, splattering onto the chemical-stained surface below. Charles Best lets out a sigh of relief, unclenching the shoulders he had tightened while manipulating miniscule fragments of pancreatic tissue under the microscope.

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Free Resources Every Aspiring Doctor Should Read

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free premed resources

As you make the decision to pursue a career in medicine, you may wonder, “Where do I even start?” It can be easy to feel overwhelmed by the process, but there are a lot of resources out there designed to help you. No matter what stage you’re in, below you will find free resources, information, and tools that you can take advantage of throughout the process to guide you as you navigate your medical journey.

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Should I Retake the MCAT?

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retake the MCAT

Believe it or not, it is not uncommon to take the MCAT twice. Though sitting for seven hours and thirty minutes more than once is not anyone’s idea of fun, scheduling a second test can be the best option if your target MCAT score is not reflected in your actual score report.

If your current score does not meet your expectations, you may be wondering if another test day is the right choice for you. Should you apply with the lower score, or should you study again? Is it worth the delay, cost, and effort to re-test? While you should consider your individual case with the guidance of an academic advisor, these guidelines can help you decide whether to schedule another test.

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What It Means to Love Being a Doctor

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love being a doctor

I stood and watched off to the side as the cart wheeled in through the wide double doors into Operation Room 1. It was my first day of shadowing a pediatric neurosurgeon, and so as I waited for the doctor to enter the room, I tapped my feet to the rhythm of an invisible beat and wrung my hands behind my back. A young boy with short-cropped brown hair lay propped against the pillows, his back straightening as he entered the room. He was young—he couldn’t have been older than 2 or 3—and he looked around with a gleam in his wide blue eyes. Clutching the edges of his blanket, he looked about the white room. He looked at me for an instant, just a second, just as long as he did for all the others in the room, and he tilted his head. So had I, I realized, as I straightened mine.

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Are You Ready for Commitment? When and How to Write a Letter of Intent

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letter of intent

So you are nearing the end of your application season. You have spent years completing prerequisite courses, engaging in thoughtful and philanthropic extracurricular pursuits, preparing for the MCAT, and of course submitting primaries, secondaries and interviewing at your desired medical schools. Maybe you have multiple letters of acceptance in hand; maybe you have not yet received your fat envelope. But there is one school that has stolen your heart. And unfortunately, your love might be unrequited.

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What Do I Wear? Basic Interview Attire for Men

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interview attire for men

Fall is in the air, and you wait patiently as the medical school application cycle continues. Several weeks have passed since you have completed your AMCAS and AACOMAS experience prompts, proof-read your personal statement, entered your transcript grades one “A” after another, and finally mustered up the courage to click that oh-so-final submit button. You eagerly press refresh on your internet browser hoping that just one of the numerous medical schools you applied to will reward you for all your arduous work. “Congratulations, you’re invited!” reads the subject line; you finally receive the email you have been waiting so anxiously to read. You schedule your interview for the next date available and your boundless excitement immediately turns to panic. Will my interview be formal or MMI? Which of my experiences will be brought up? What will I wear to this oh-so-important event? While the former questions may generate some anxiety, choosing your outfit should be an easy, stress-free task.

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Put Down That MPH Application: How to Reapply to Medical School the Right Way

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strengthen your medical school application

Unsuccessful medical school applicants face a quandary. What to do next?

A popular option has been the master’s degree in public health. Students figured it was a way to spend a year doing something “health-related.” They could take off for medical school interviews, maybe write a paper or two. But the MPH is too easy a route. It is not enough. Here is what the MPH telegraphs: “I sat down for a year in easy to moderate difficulty classes and passed. I have a broad overview of public health.”

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Working as a Paramedic to Gain Clinical Experience

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paramedic

Importance of Medical/Healthcare Experience as a Medical School Applicant

Healthcare is a broad field with multiple working parts that all accompany one another. Providers come from all walks of life and contribute a wide range of skills and abilities that each work integrally in order to provide a smooth patient care experience. Everyone that has any patient care responsibility can attest to the hardships—as well as the triumphs—that one faces while working in healthcare.

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How to Choose Extracurriculars as a Premedical Student

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You may have heard that there’s a “perfect formula” of undergraduate extracurricular activities sought by medical schools. Research experience? Check. Hospital volunteering? Check. A summer internship in a lab or clinical setting? Check.

While these endeavors might demonstrate your interest in and commitment to clinical medicine, the idea of selecting your extracurricular activities solely based upon this perfect formula ignores one key trait that medical school admissions committees are looking for in their applicants: authenticity. As you navigate your pre-medical years, you may be wondering how to cultivate a resume that evidences your investment in medicine but also leaves plenty of room for pursuing your other interests. The key to selecting your extracurriculars is to not treat these two intentions as mutually exclusive—medicine can overlap with your other interests (and vice versa). Check out these suggestions for choosing your undergraduate extracurriculars in a way that will please both you and admissions committees.

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Writing That Personal Statement

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surgical specialties

Writing about yourself can be intimidating. Luckily, I’ve got this venue here for practice, but it really can be difficult, especially when it comes to writing to impress someone else, i.e. those on the selection committees of medical schools or residency program directors. It’s important to articulate yourself well and paint a picture of your personality in a way that makes them say, “Yes, I want this person to be in my program”. I recently finished up writing my personal statement for residency programs, so I have a few tips on how to go about this daunting process.

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5 Ways You Can Help Prevent Your AMCAS® Application from Being Delayed

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prevent your AMCAS application from being delayed

Many applicants applying with AMCAS strive to complete and submit their application as quickly as possible. However, an incomplete or incorrect application can cause delays — which may cause you to miss an important deadline. [Here are important dates to be aware of for the 2018-2019 application cycle.] Never fear: We talked to the staff who verify applications, and they shared some quick tips that can help prevent your 2019 AMCAS application from being delayed.

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The Secondary Application: Bragging vs. Confidence

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How can you brag about yourself without bragging about yourself?

We are taught from a  young age (most of us, anyway) not to brag. It is better, we may sometimes hear, to show confidence. Listener Rachel wrote in with a question about the secondary application: how does one confidently talk themselves up without coming across as a braggart? Lucky for Rachel, we have Daniel Schnall from our admissions staff on hand to help Mark Moubarek, Kylie Miller, Aline Sandouk, and Gabe Conley with some great advice about how to sell yourself on your application and also back it up.  Don’t want to look like a chump? Dan has your answer, Rachel.

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